Lamination-assisted method for displaying images by way of plaques and acrylic for commendation, commemoration, information, or award

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a lamination-assisted method for preparing high quality plaques for the purposes of commemoration, commendation, information, or award, having the appearance and durability of metal plaques. This invention further provides a method which may be utilized for the preparation of acrylic block displays for commemoration, award, information, or commendation using lamination, whereby the impression is conveyed to an observer of an embedded image. In either case the text or graphic image, as imprinted on a carrier, is laminated to the display solid by using an adhesive film. An additional protective layer may then be laminated to the carrier.

This application is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 09/655,346 filed Sep.5, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,309, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Display materials, such as commemorative plaques and awards, oftencomprise a metal plate mounted on a wooden base, and may be adapted tobe hung on a wall or displayed on a desk or table. In some cases, themetal plate may be mounted on the base of a trophy or other award.

The use of such metal plates results in a distinctive, easy and “richlooking” award. The metal plate provides a smooth surface upon which thedesired information may be readily displayed. One of its characteristicsover other materials is that it acts as superior backdrop to almost anytype of visual image as a result of its highly reflective surface.Furthermore, people prefer the effect of metal over paper due to thelatter's actual and conveyed impressions of permanence and sturdiness.Metal gives to many users a feeling of superior quality. This is anaccepted and popular means of commemorating or memorializing a specialoccasion or place, conveying important information, commending anindividual or group of persons on some meritorious matter, or awardingsomeone for a laudable deed.

Such metal plates commonly contain written descriptive material whichmay simply be engraved or etched into the metal plate, resulting in onlya one-colour display. In some cases, coloured lettering may be appliedto such a metal plate by filling the engraved or etched letters withcoloured ink or paint. It is also general practice, however, to applycoloured lettering by processes such as silk screening. Silk screeningand other commonly used methods of applying coloured lettering requiresthe use of a separate printing step for each colour used, and requirescareful alignment and registration of the screens required for printing.

Reproduction of photographs or other multi-colour artistic works onmetal plates involves several printing steps, each using a singlecolour, and requires even more careful alignment and registration ofeach colour separation. Each such printing step requires the preparationof a separate screen or separation, which increases the cost and timeinvolved in multi-colour printing processes. Consequently, multi-colourprinting processes are generally used only when a large number of suchplaques are being prepared.

Another popular means of commendation, information, commemoration, oraward is the use of a substantial layer of a transparent material, mostusually acrylic polymer or glass. A substantial piece of the transparentmaterial is placed between the observer and the textual or graphicimage. This is normally achieved by embedding the printed image within ablock of the transparent material. The image would usually have atransparent background to the text or graphics, except for small regionsto accentuate particular foreground colours. Both the block and theimage background may be colour tinted. The block as a whole would thenbe adapted to be displayed under a variety of circumstances, e.g. hungon a wall, on a desk or shelf, or as part of an assemblage of displayeditems

The human perception of an image through a transparent medium asdescribed above is that of suspension of the characters or graphics ofthe image. The phenomena of internal reflection and refraction occur asgoverned by the optical characteristics of such a block: to an observer,a quick impression is that of suspension in a clear liquid withreflectance off the walls of the block. Taken in entirety, this isesthetically pleasing and makes the finished product attractive as ameans for displaying such images.

In its solid form, acrylic is a physically sturdy and chemically inertmaterial, capable of withstanding hostile environments and treatmentwithout significant damage. Together with its clear opticalcharacteristic, which makes it suitable as a medium for displaypurposes, acrylic is often used for purposes of commendation, award,information, or commemoration. Glass has also been used but its physicalcharacteristics are less appealing since it is more difficult to workwith and requires greater care and attention in handling.

Conventional means of producing embedded displays of textual or graphicimages involve a number of steps. The acrylic polymer material is heatedto a liquid state which is then poured into individual moulds. A carrierbearing the text or graphic image is added to and carefully positionedin the acrylic material while the latter remains in the workable moltenstate. The carrier must be of a chemical composition such as towithstand the corrosive characteristics of liquefied acrylic; it mustalso be of such physical characteristics to bear up under the associatedheat and pressure. This restricts the spectrum of possible materialsthat can be utilized to carry the image. For example, presentconventional photographic paper could not be used. Furthermore the meansof imprinting the text or graphic on the carrier must be carefullychosen due to the same reasons. A wide variety of methods of imprintingthe image would not survive the chemical bath. The process as a whole iscomplicated and expensive, especially where lesser quantities of suchdisplays are produced.

One way of circumventing the above mentioned problems while retainingthe characteristic of embedded images is to mount the printed image atthe rear of the acrylic block. As a result, the observer sees the imagethrough the clear acrylic material and its visual effect is comparableto that of the embedded approach. The laminated films may be trimmed tominimize any raised edges and give the assembly the appearance of aclose approximation to uniform constitution. As a result, there is noneed for the acrylic material to be reduced to a molten state whileaffixing the printed image thus avoiding the difficulties of heating andcorrosion on the carrier. This further results in the possible use of agreater variety of image films.

The choice of the method of preparing the display must not substantiallyimpair the overall transparent characteristic of the acrylic block as ameans of display relative to the conventional embedding methodology. Asilicone-based adhesive, while fulfilling the visual effect requirement,is difficult to work with requiring considerable sophistication, and hassignificant toxicity.

The present invention provides a method for preparing high qualityplaques having the appearance and durability of metal plaques, but whichcan be prepared much more quickly and economically than conventionalmetal plates. Furthermore, the method of the present invention permitsthe preparation of even single plaques having several colours or bearingphotographic or other artistic works at a fraction of the cost ofpreparing metal plates.

The same method may be utilized for the preparation of acrylic blockdisplays with comparable visual impact and durability as that producedthrough conventional embedding methodology, but the process is quick,simple, and less expensive, especially where lower quantities ofdisplays are involved. Furthermore, the class of possible carriers islarger since there is virtually no similar requirement for heat andcorrosion resistance as in the case of conventional embeddingmethodology.

REFERRING TO THE DRAWINGS

So that the invention may be better understood, the preferredembodiments thereof is described in detail by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention involving a metallic plaque;

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a partially assembled preferredembodiment of the present invention, depicting a preferred method oflamination of the pressure-sensitive mounting adhesive to the displaysolid;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a fully assembled, preferredembodiment of the present invention involving a metallic plaque; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fully assembled, preferred embodimentof the present invention involving an acrylic block.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In general, the display panel for purposes of commemoration,commendation, information, or award consists of a transparent film, alsoknown as a carrier 1, upon which the text and/or images are printed, anda display solid 2 upon which the transparent film is mounted, asillustrated in FIG. 1. The transparent film 1 may be mounted to thedisplay solid 2 by any convenient adhesive means, but is preferablymounted to the display solid by means of an optically clear mucilaginousfilm, known as an adhesive film 3, comprising of a transparent base filmhaving adhesive coating on each side, which is laminated together withthe carrier I and display solid 2. The display solid 2 may be an acrylicblock, or a metallic plate mounted on any suitable backing or supportsurface, but is preferably such as a wooden or stone block for purposesof commemoration, award, information, or commendation. In the case of anacrylic display solid 2, one embodiment uses a clear block, withoutcolouring; another comprises the employment of a colour tinted block.

The printed, transparent carrier 1 may be optionally protected by athick clear transparent film, also known as a protective laminate 4,which is adhesively mounted to the carrier 1. An alternative to a cleartransparent protective laminate comprises one with a matte finish in thecase where the display solid is a metallic plaque. Other alternativessuch as a satin or glossy finish may also be used. The preferredembodiment uses a protective laminate 4 with an adhesive coating and arelease liner on one side.

With another embodiment of the invention, carriers 1 printed with thetext or graphic are mounted onto the front 5 and back 6 of an acrylicblock 7 (block shown in FIG. 4). The carriers 1 is preferably laminatedunder pressure to the acrylic block 2 together with an adhesive film 3.

With another preferred embodiment, the carrier 1 and the protectivelaminate 4 (as a laminated assembly) are mounted on the rear 6 of theacrylic block 7.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention involving a metallicplaque display solid 2, the carrier 1 and protective laminate 4, if any,cover only the centre portion 9 of the metallic surface, leaving exposeda narrow shiny border 8 (see FIG. 3). This adds a degree of contrast tothe plaque enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the plaque.

The details of the above preferred embodiments follows. The first stagein the preparation of the laminated assembly of the present invention ispreferably the printing of the desired subject matter, which may includethe text, photographs, artistic drawings, or other graphicrepresentations, on the carrier 1, which may be a clear or a tintedacetate type material, and which may be imprinted by any conventional,appropriate means, such as laser printing, ink jet printing,photocopying, silk screening, or other conventional printing processes.The surface of the acetate-like material is preferably uncoated such asto eliminate the possibility of a chemical reaction between any suchcoating and the adhesive, resulting in “peeling” or degradation of theprinted image. This will rule out certain printing technologies whichmake use of chemically coated carriers.

Following the application of the printed material to the carrier 1, thecarrier 1 may be laminated to an adhesive film 3 (see FIG. 2). Such anadhesive layer 3 is generally available in roll or sheet form, andcomprises a two sided adhesive, each side of which is protected by aclear release liner, which is easily removed from the adhesive surface.The carrier 1 is applied to the adhesive film 3 by removing the releaseliner from one side of the adhesive film 3, and aligning the printedsurface with the adhesive layer. Once proper alignment of the carrier 1and the adhesive film 3 is achieved either manually or mechanically, thetwo materials are fed into the roller 10 of the laminator underpressure, to remove any air that may be trapped between the two layers.Alternatively, the release liner may be removed stepwise while feedingthe carrier 1 and adhesive film 3 into the laminator roller 10. Thislamination is conveniently accomplished through the use of conventionalcold lamination; alternatively heat-assisted lamination may also beutilized.

One variation to the above is that the surface of the area of thelaminator feeding the sheets into the laminating roller 10 is preferablyone that allows slippage of the sheets as such are fed into the roller10 of the laminator. For example, the material masonite coated withsilicone, through one of various means, is one that is found to suitthis purpose.

The printed surface may be protected by the application of a clearlaminated upper surface 4, also known as a protective laminate,generally of polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polypropylene, or otherscratch-resistant material, which is generally available in a sheet orroll form having a pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side of the filmcovered by a release sheet. This protective laminate 4 may be clear, asfor the case of acrylic blocks, or other types of finish, e.g. glossy,satin, or matte. It may incorporate an inhibitor for radiation in theultra-violet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, in order to preventfading of the printed image on the carrier 1 as a result of exposur tosunlight. Such PVC materials are commonly available. As in the mountingof the carrier 1 to the adhesive film 3, the carrier 1 is preferablyaligned with the protective laminate 4, and, when properly aligned, theprotective laminate 4 and the carrier 1 are fed into the rollers 10 ofthe laminator and cold laminated under pressure to activate thepressure-sensitive adhesive.

The orientation of the desired subject matter, as such are printed onthe carrier 1, is dependent to some extent on the presence or absence ofa protective laminate layer 4 in the finished laminated assembly. Ifthere is no protective laminate 4, then the orientation must be chosento avoid exposing the printed surface of the carrier 1 to the exterior.In the case where a protective laminate 4 is employed, the orientationmakes little difference due to the presence of the protective laminate4. Printing in the reversed orientation on the carrier 1 should takeplace if there is no protective laminate 4 in the case of a frontalmounting, since the printed image surface would otherwise lie exposed.On the other hand, normal imaging orientation must take place if thereis no protective laminate 4 where the carrier 1 is mounted at the rearof an acrylic block 7. This way, the printed surface is on the sidefacing the acrylic block 7.

Upon lamination of the protective laminate 4, if any, to the carrier 1,the assembly may be laminated to a display solid 2 comprising a metalsheet, heavy paper, card stock, plastic material, wood, acrylic, orother suitable materials. This lamination is accomplished by removingthe remaining release layer from the pressure-sensitive adhesive film 3,and aligning the assembled layers in the desired location on the displaysolid, and then laminating the display solid 2 to the printed assembly,using conventional cold or hot lamination.

In other preferred embodiments of the invention, the precise procedurefor each laminating stage is unchanged but their order is varied. Thesuccessive layers to be laminated together are: the display solid 2 onthe bottom, the carrier 1, the adhesive film 3, and the protectivelaminate 4 on the top, if any. As long as the successive order of thelayers is preserved in the final laminated product as indicated, theorder of the laminations makes no difference. This is to say, one hasthree choices as the first step: laminate the display solid 2 to thebottom surface of adhesive film 3 before all other laminating steps, orcommence with lamination of the carrier 1 to the top surface of theadhesive film 3, or even start with adhering the top surface of thecarrier 1 to the protective laminate 4. The next step has two choices,depending on the initial choice. The order is a function of convenienceand the particular equipment used in the lamination processes. Sinceworking on the display solid 2 with a roller laminator likelyconstitutes the most delicate part of the process due to the applicationof pressure on a 3-dimensional solid, mounting an otherwise completedassembly onto the display solid 2 is preferably the last step. Theexposure of an unstable print medium, certain types of ink for example,on the carrier 1 to the laminator roller 10 is another reason thatlamination should normally be the last step. However, experience showsthat lower wastage of work materials results in the case of metallicplaques without an exposed metallic border if the adhesive film 3 isapplied to the metallic display solid 2 first.

The terms “assembly”, “structure”, “complex”, and “composite” are usedinterchangeably to indicate two or more layers laminated together as anintermediate in the production process resulting in a final laminatedproduct consisting of all four layers (or three if a protective laminateis not used).

Another embodiment would involve adhesive coating on the carrier insteadof the adhesive film to bind the carrier to the adhesive film. Thus oneis using an adhesive film with mucilage on the side adhering to thedisplay solid. The same could also apply in a variation for the carrierand protective laminate bonding: it is the carrier that is initiallycoated with an adhesive (and a release liner) and not the protectivelaminate. One practical constraint is the vulnerability of the imagemedium, e.g. the ink, to chemically react with the adhesive.

Intermediate and finishing steps in the preparation of the assembleddisplay may include careful trimming of any of the desired layers foresthetic appeal.

It will be appreciated that the above description relates to thepreferred embodiments by way of example only. Many variations on theapparatus for delivering the invention will be obvious to thoseknowledgeable in the field, and such obvious variations are within thescope of the invention as described and claimed, whether or notexpressly described. As an example, it is the alternative practice ofthose in the field to use heat-assisted lamination and attendinglamination materials instead of cold lamination as indicated above. Theemployment of heat on the laminated assembly occurs either during theapplication of pressure by the use of a heat roller laminator orsubsequent to its application by a heat press. Experiments show thatgood results are achieved with adhesives generally available in Canadain the approximate temperature range between 80° C. and 120° C.Substantially below this range, peeling of the laminated layers occurs;above this range, there is considerable scorching of the adhesive film 3and the protective laminate 4, if any.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a method for preparing highquality plaques having the appearance and durability of metal plaques.These plaques are used for the display of text or graphic images forpurposes of commemoration, commendation, information, or award.Furthermore, the method of the present invention permits the preparationof even single plaques having several colours or bearing photographic orother artistic works at a fraction of the cost of preparing metalplates.

It is another object of this invention to provided a method for thepreparation of acrylic block displays with comparable visual impact ofembedded text or graphic images as that produced through conventionalembedding methodology. Furthermore, the class of possible carriers islarger since there is virtually no similar requirement for heat andcorrosion resistance as in the case of conventional embeddingmethodology.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method of theaforementioned character, but which is much quicker, simpler, andeconomical than conventional methods, especially where lower quantitiesof displays are involved.

1. A method for producing a visual display of an image carried by aplanar carrier having a top surface and a bottom surface using a displaysolid for purposes of commendation, commemoration, information, oraward, comprising the steps of: (a) laminating together, using alaminator and a surface area comprising a masonite sheet coated withsilicone for feeding to a laminating roller of said laminator, anassembly comprising a protective laminate and the carrier; (b)laminating together a complex comprising an adhesive film having a topsurface and a bottom surface, and the display solid; and (c) laminatingthe assembly to the complex.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stepof laminating together an assembly comprises the steps of: (a) removinga release sheet on the protective laminate exposing a pressure-sensitiveadhesive coating; (a) superposing one of the protective laminate and thecarrier with the other, having the exposed adhesive coating of theprotective laminate facing the carrier; and (b) laminating applyingpressure by the laminator to the protective laminate and the carrier. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein the step of laminating together a complexcomposes the steps of: (a) removing a release sheet from the bottomsurface of the adhesive film exposing a pressure-sensitve adhesivecoating; (b) superposing one of the adhesive film and the display solidwith the other, having the exposed adhesive coating of the adhesive filmfacing the display solid; and (c) laminating applying pressure by thelaminator to the adhesive film and the display solid.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the step of laminating the assembly to the complexcomprises the steps of: (a) removing a release sheet from the topsurface of the adhesive film layer of the complex exposing apressure-sensitive adhesive coating; (b) superposing one of the assemblyand the complex with the other, having the exposed adhesive coating ofthe adhesive film layer of the assembly facing the carrier of thecomplex; and (c) laminating applying pressure by the laminator to thesuperposed assembly and structure.
 5. A method for producing a visualdisplay of an image carried by a planar carrier having a top surface anda bottom surface using a display solid for purposes of commendation,commemoration, information, or award, comprises the steps of: (a)laminating together a complex comprising an adhesive film having a topsurface and a bottom surface, and the display solid; (b) laminatingtogether, using a laminator and a surface area comprising a masonitesheet coated with silicone for feeding to a laminating roller of saidlaminator, an assembly comprising a protective laminate and the carrier;and (c) laminating the complex to the assembly.
 6. The method of claim5, wherein the step of laminating together an assembly comprises thesteps of: (b) removing a release sheet on the protective laminateexposing a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating; (c) superposing one ofthe protective laminate and the carrier with the other, having theexposed adhesive coating of the protective laminate facing the carrier;and (d) laminating applying pressure by the laminator to the protectivelaminate and the carrier.
 7. The method of any one of claims 1, 2, 5,and 6, wherein the finish of the protective laminate is one selectedfrom the group comprising transparent, matte, satin, and glossy.
 8. Themethod of any one of claims 1, 2, 5, and 6, wherein the carrier is oneselected from the group comprising acetate, paper, and photographicpaper.
 9. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of laminating togethera complex comprises the steps of: (b) removing a release sheet from thebottom surface of the adhesive film exposing a pressure-sensitiveadhesive coating; (b) superposing one of the adhesive film and thedisplay solid with the other, having the exposed adhesive coating of theadhesive film facing the display solid; and (c) laminating applyingpressure by the laminator to the adhesive film and the display solid.10. The method of any one of claims 1, 2, 5, and 9, wherein the displaysolid is one selected from the group comprising a metallic plate mountedon a solid base, a metallic plate, an acrylic block, a glass block, anda plastic block.
 11. The method of claim 5, wherein the step oflaminating the assembly to the complex comprises the steps of: (d)removing a release sheet from the top surface of the adhesive film layerof the complex exposing a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating; (e)superposing one of the assembly and the complex with the other, havingthe exposed adhesive coating of the adhesive film layer of the assemblyfacing the carrier of the complex; and (f) laminating applying pressureby the laminator to the superposed assembly and structure.